In the art of water control or fill valves commonly used in the appliance industry, it is conventional to use a pilot operated diaphragm which is controlled by a solenoid actuated plunger. In order to reduce costs of such a valve and to eliminate corrosion of the valve, the valve body is molded of thermoplastics material which forms the inlet and outlet portions of the valve body as well as a valve seat for receiving the pilot operated diaphragm. The inlet portion of the valve body defines a cylindrical passage or inlet chamber which is generally surrounded by a plurality of four parallel spaced holes. The holes receive corresponding screws which form threads within the plastic inlet portion of the valve body.
When such a pilot operated valve is used in a built-in appliance, for example, a built-in undercounter dishwashing machine, the valve is usually coupled to a tubular metal fitting such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,780, No. 3,195,561 and No. 3,396,848. The tubular metal fitting is machined from solid metal bar stock and is provided with either external or internal pipe threads, for example, as shown in above U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,561 and No. 3,396,848, respectively, so that the fitting may be conveniently coupled to a water supply line.
As disclosed in these two patents, the metal fittings are provided with a shoulder having opposite flat surfaces which mate with corresponding flat edge surfaces of a hole or opening formed within a sheet metal support bracket for the valve. The mating flat surfaces are effective to transfer to the support bracket the torque applied to the fitting by a wrench during installation of the water supply line and thereby avoid transmitting the torque to or through the plastic valve body. The fittings must have substantial wall thickness in the area of the shoulder to prevent collapsing and rotation of the fitting when a substantial torque is applied during installation of a water supply line with a pipe wrench.
It is also common to machine the metal fitting from hexagonal bar stock in order to provide the fitting with a hexagonal flange portion and to provide the sheet metal bracket with an embossed mating hexagonal recess. The recess receives the flange portion to prevent rotation of the fitting relative to the support bracket when torque is applied to the fitting during installation of the water supply line. In order to form the hexagonal recess within the support bracket, it has been found necessary to form the support bracket from relatively heavy gauge sheet metal which significantly increases the cost of the support bracket. In addition, a relatively large press is required to press the hexagonal embossment and recess within the heavy gauge sheet metal.